East Bay SPCA Beneficiary of the Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival

May 07, 2013

SFGate

Photo: PRWeb

The Great Wall of Oakland will host the Bay Area premiere of the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival benefiting East Bay SPCA on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 3-10 pm on West Grand Avenue between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway in Oakland.

“We are very excited to celebrate cats, bring awareness to the importance of fostering cats and kittens, and give all Bay Area cat lovers the opportunity to mingle with others who are passionate about felines,” said East Bay SPCA President and CEO Allison Lindquist. ”We thank the Great Wall of Oakland for selecting the East Bay SPCA to be the nonprofit beneficiary of this groundbreaking event.”

The Internet Cat Video Festival is an opportunity for thousands of cat-loving people to gather in Uptown Oakland to enjoy cool cat videos, music, and food and in a safe and fun environment. There will also be a large area with cats and kittens available for adoption from East Bay SPCA and other animal rescue groups, as well as information on fostering kittens for shelters and pet rescues.

“We’re excited to be part of an event that is totally cat-centric!” adds East Bay SPCA Vice President of Marketing and Development Laura Fulda. “This 7 hour cat-a-palooza is an entire event built around seeing, watching, and talking about all things cat! This event is not just about watching cat videos, but about watching cat videos with thousands of other cat lovers in real-time on a 100 foot concrete wall.”

For additional entertainment, there will be live bands playing cat-themed music, local food trucks, pet product vendors, local artisans selling arts and crafts, and opportunities to participate in a plethora of art projects and cat activities! Even Dusty the Klepto Cat is slated to make a special appearance!

Visitors should make sure to stop by the Fresh Step® tent where they can strut down the catwalk and strike a pose for charity! Each photo uploaded to Twitter with #Catdance during the event will generate a $1 donation (up to $1,000) for the East Bay SPCA!

Another attraction will be the Save A Kitten stage sponsored by Pet Food Express, emceed by Charly Kayle of KOIT and Tom Vacar from KTVU from 3 – 8 pm. The stage will host performances by Cruel Summer, Subzero5, Caitlin Gill Comedy and Little Miss Hot Mess (reenacting a scene from Cats the Musical). If that isn’t enough, the official Cat Man from West Oakland will be spinning cat tunes in between acts! The goal of the Save A Kitten campaign is to recruit and register at least 200 new foster families for this year’s kitten season.

As the sun sets, festival attendees will gather on West Grand Avenue in front of the Great Wall to watch a cat-themed aerial duet by the Great Wall of Oakland's artist in residence group, Bandaloop before the Bay Area premiere of the Internet Cat Video Festival. See full schedule here.

About the Internet Cat Video Festival
The Top Cat sponsor for the Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival is Oakland-based Pet Food Express who will promote the Save A Kitten program. Between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. East Bay SPCA along with other rescue groups will offer cats and kittens for adoption. Additionally, they will be signing up foster parents for kittens.

About East Bay SPCAThe East Bay SPCA (EBSPCA) is a nonprofit organization committed to the welfare of cats and dogs in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We strive to eliminate animal cruelty, neglect and overpopulation by providing programs and education that support people and companion animals. More information about EBSPCA can be found at http://www.eastbayspca.org or by calling 510.569.0702.